A Treasury of Life

The term ‘Company painting’ was coined some seventy years ago to describe works made by Indian artists working for European patrons in India – typically employees of the various foreign trading companies – in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Early enthusiasts of the genre were few: most people thought it was too late or ‘decadent’ to be considered as good court art, and too early or ‘primitive’ to be considered as modern. Recent exhibitions and publications have raised awareness and appreciation of this exceptional phase of Indian art, and this exhibition contributes to that purpose.

If we look beyond outmoded prejudices and focus on the accomplishments of Company painting, we will note that this was the moment when Indian artists who had trained in courtly ateliers first moved outside the court to work for new patrons. The agendas of those patrons were not tied up with courtly or religious concerns. They were enthralled by India’s flora and fauna; by its architectural traditions; and by the costumes, customs and manners of its diverse peoples; and they looked to local artists to capture these details in images that would help them understand an environment that was new to them. Never mind that the patrons were foreigners, and their vision could be ill-informed. What should strike us now is how the artists responded to their demands with skill and passion, creating entirely new templates of Indian art. Company painting, while reflecting India’s past, also shows us a moment of modernity.